Tuesday

Four days before opening its season at Wyoming, Missouri football released an updated depth chart Tuesday morning.

Among the biggest changes in the first update since SEC Media Days in mid-July is sophomore cornerback Jarvis Ware leapfrogging junior Christian Holmes.

Ware had a promising fall camp in the eyes of the coaching staff, and it was enough to surpass Holmes, who led the Southeastern Conference with a 40.3 opponent completion percentage and started the last eight games a year ago for the Tigers.

“I think we got three starters at that position and I would venture to guess that at the end of game one that they'll have pretty equal snaps,” Missouri head coach Barry Odom said of the cornerbacks. “They both earned an opportunity to play, I think they're going to play at a high level. Fortunate that we got three that feel that way with.”

Two starting spots are still up for grabs. The sophomore wide receiver duo of Jalen Knox and Kam Scott are battling for a first-team spot, while safeties Khalil Oliver and Ronnell Perkins are in competition for a starting spot in Missouri’s five-defensive-back scheme.

Odom added the battle between Scott and Knox is a lot like the one between Holmes and Ware, as they’ve both earned the opportunity to start and should get their fair share of snaps.

Taylor Powell has secured the backup quarterback spot after also serving as the No. 2 signal caller behind Drew Lock last season.

As expected, senior Tucker McCann has earned both the starting kicker and punter responsibilities.

OFODILE RETIRES, SCOTT LOOKS TO TRANSFER: Two of the Tigers scholarship players have or will possibly soon depart the program.

Columbia native and wide receiver Alex Ofodile has decided to step away from football and quarterback Lindsey Scott Jr. is looking to transfer.

Ofodile, a Rock Bridge graduate, met with Odom early Tuesday morning about his decision. Alex Ofodile played for his father, current Missouri tight ends coach A.J. Ofodile, as a Bruin and originally attended Oregon before transferring back to his hometown university.

Alex Ofodile saw action in 11 games in his only season as a Tiger. He’s already graduated from Missouri with a master’s degree and is currently working on a second degree.

“He’s such a great kid,” said Odom of Alex Ofodile. "I respect the reasons why he wanted to step away now from the game and I appreciate the work he put into our program. He’s content with what his career ended up being, and there’s always a point when you realize maybe you need to step away and for him, he said it’d been weighing on him. This offseason was hard for him with all the things that he went through and at this point, he feels like it's better to be finished with football and we’ll support him.”

Odom also met with Scott a few times over the weekend. Just like with Ofodile, Odom doesn’t like losing players from his roster, but chose to support what the duo’s goals were both on and off the field.

In Scott’s case, he has two years of eligibility remaining and suggests with a possible move that he doesn’t want to spend one of them as a third-string quarterback.

That limited opportunity forces Scott to possibly suit up for a fourth college after also spending time at LSU and East Mississippi Community College, of Netflix’s Last Chance U seasons one and two.

ODOM SPEAKS ON SANCTIONS: It’s still a waiting game for Missouri.

Thursday marks six weeks since the NCAA infractions committee heard the Tigers’ appeal of several sanctions including a three-sport postseason ban.

An uptick in support for Missouri came again Friday when sanctions were handed down to Mississippi State for similar accusations. Odom weighed in on his thoughts four days after the NCAA’s latest movement.

“It doesn't change my level of optimism, comfort, knowledge, not one bit,” Odom stated. “I think every case is different and probably so. I learned months ago any time that I spend on that, I’m not doing it right for my football team. So, if I sit around and read things and try and predict the future, then I’m a fool.”

OTHER NOTES

Odom said several freshmen will play in Laramie on Saturday. He named Niko Hea, Stacy Brown, Martez Manuel, Maurice Massey, Isaiah McGuire, Devin Nicholson and Thalen Robinson. The Tigers played 14 freshmen in last year’s season-opening victory over UT-Martin.Odom ruled Trajan Jeffcoat and Cameron Wilkins out for Week One, but expects both to be available for the home opener in Week Two against West Virginia on Sept. 7, with an 11 a.m. kickoff.Missouri football’s captains for the 2019 season: Cale Garrett, Jordan Elliott, Kelly Bryant, DeMarkus Acy and Larry Rountree.

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